Golf practice device



L E w E H GOEE PRACTICE DEVICE 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed June 30, 1934 INVENTOR ff-*anA///ewe/ ATTORNEY mlb m, w37. F. B. HEWEL y www@ GOLF PRACTICE DEVICE Filed June 50, 19521 2 Sl'leeS-Sheel 2 WITNESS I INVENTOR ATTORN Patented Mar. 16, 1937 NiTED STATES n l i 2,074,146

PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to athletic or sporting apparatus, and it has particular relation to golf practice devices.

One object of my invention is to provide a device for golf practice which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction but effective and satisfying in operation.

lanother object of my invention is to pro-vide a device of the character in question, comprising a ball that is adapted to rotate around both a substantially horizontal and a substantially vertical aXis. y

A further object of my invention is to provide a golf practice device having a support and i a ball mounted on a rigid member secured to the support and adapted to move in a plurality of directions at angles to each other.

Another object of my invention is to provide a golf practice device in which a ball is adapted to swing in a generally horizontal rotary path when hit, the ball being also capable of flying upwardly.

Another object of my invention is to provide a ball assembly mounted to rotate when hit, together with a friction member for effecting a braking action on the ball assembly when rotated.

Other objects of my invention will become evident from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 are views, respectively in top plan and in section along the line II-II of Fig. 1 and in side elevation of one member of my golf practice device;

Fig. 4, Fig. and Fig. 6; and Fig. '7, Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 are similar sets of views showing two other members of my device;

Fig. and Fig. 11 are, respectively, views in top plan and in side elevation of the completely assembled apparatus;

Fig. 12 is a view,` partly in longitudinal section, taken along theV line XII-XII of Fig. 10, of my apparatus; and

Fig. 13 is an enlarged View of the ball assembly shown in the three preceding figures.

Referring to the drawings, the structure here shown comprises an annular base or support I, a secondary support or tiltable member 2 which is pivotally associated with the base member, a rotary platform or table 3 which is pivotally associated with the tiltable member 2, a golf ball or other strikable member 4 secured to a rigid member 5 which is pivotally associated with the ro- 55 tary platform 3, and a friction or braking member 6 for retarding the rotary motion of the rigid ball-supporting member 5.

The main support or base I is provided at opposite portions of its inner annular wall with upstanding lugs or ears I2 through which openings or slotsI I3 arercut. The annular base is also provided with a plurality of openings or holes Ill for the purpose of permitting the device to be rigidly attached to a floor or the like.

The secondary support or tiltable member 2 is disk-like in form, being provided with two downwardly extending lugs or ears I6 which are pierced by openings or slots I1, a central openiing i8 through the disk being also provided.

The rotary platform or table 3 is also disk-like in form,`having a pair of upstanding lugs or ears struck out of the material thereof and located eccentrically o-n the rotary table, that is, to one side of the center thereof, these lugs being pierced with aligned lholes 2l. A hole or opening 22 is also provided at the center of the platform 3.

As clearly shown in Figs. 10, 11, and 12, the4 members illustrated in Figs. 1 to 9, inclusive, are assembledV as follows: The base or support I has its upstanding lugs I2 pivotally secured to the downwardly extending lugs I6 of the tiltable member 2 by means of suitable bolt and nut connections 24, for example, although any other form of pivotal mounting may be employed. By reason of the provision of slots rather than small round holes in the lugs I2 and I6, the height of the tiltable member 2 above the base I and also the angle at which the member 2 is tilted with respect to the base I may be readily selected by the user,` the parts being held in their selected 35 position by means of suitably tightening the bolt and nut connections 24.

The rotary platform or table 3 is placed centrally on top of the tiltable member 2 and a bolt and nut pivotal connection 25, for example, is inserted through the hole 22 in the table 3 and registering hole I8 in the tiltable member 2. Here again any other suitable form of vertical pivotal connection may be employed in lieu of the illustrated bolt and nut connection 25. It should be noted that the bolt and nut connection 25 is a relatively loose one in order to permit the platform 3 to rotate with respect to the tiltable member 2.

The ball-supporting rod 5 is provided at one end with a bend .or loop 2i and is threaded, as indicated at 28 in Fig. 13, at the other end. This threaded end extends into a hole in the ball device 4 at the bottom of which hole a suitable nut 29 has been disposed. By screwing the threaded portion 28 of the rod 5 into the nut 29 and tightening another nut 30, previously threaded on the end 28, against the surface of the ball, a suitably rugged and otherwise satisfactory assembly of the ball on the rod is provided.

A stub shaft or other pivotal member 26 is employed as a pivotal connection for the looped end 2l of the rod 5 which is placed between the upstanding lugs 20 of the rotary platform 3. The stub shaft or pin 26 is inserted through the opening 2| in one of the lugs, then through the loop 21 and finally through the opening 2| in the other lug, after which suitable provision is made for holding the pin in place as by the illustrated cotter pin 3l. It will be understood, however, that any other suitable horizontal pivotal connection between the ball-supporting rod 5 and the rotary table 3 may be employed.

The breaking device 6 comprises a friction member, such as a block of. rubber, secured near the periphery of the tiltable member 2 by means of rivets or pins 32 and preferably having bevelled .or rounded ends. The height of the block 6 is such as to normally permit one portion of the ball-supporting rod 5 to rest thereon when the ball t is not resting on the floor. The purpose of this braking device 6 will be hereinafter pointed out.

Assuming that the apparatus Voccupies the position shown in Figs. 10 and 11, for example, the person using my golf practice device assumes his usual stance opposite the ball 4, using whatever golf club he desires, and strikes the ball with whatever force he desires on the one side or the other of the ball 4, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 10, depending upon whether the player is right-handed or left-handed, as will be understood. As a result of the impact of the club head on the ball, the ball 4, the rod 5 and the rotary table 3 to which the rod is attached swing in a general horizontal rotary path around the pivotal connection 25. At the same time, on account of the looped end 21 .of the rod 5 being horizontally pivotally connected to the rotary table 3, the ball 4 may fly upwardly at various angles following a resultant path based upon the relative forces applied thereto during the stroke in a substantially horizontal and a substantially vertical direction.

By reason of the illustrated structure wherein ball 4 is capable of motion around both a vertical and a horizontal axis, it will be noted that the ball d tends to take the same natural angle of flight dependent upon the particular face angle of the club that is used (driver, midiron, mashie, etc.) that the ball would naturally take if free and hit by the same club. Thus, although my device is rugged in construction and capable of exact adjustments, nevertheless by reason of the provision of the horizontal and vertical axes in question, no undue strain is applied to the rigid ball-supporting rod 5 and thus there is no tendency to break or bend the same, which would be the case if only a vertical rotational axis were provided.

As the ball continues to rotate after being struck, it, of course, gradually sinks down to lower planes and eventually the rod 5 engages the friction member or rubber block 6, once for each complete rotation thereof. By reason of the provision of this friction or braking member, the ball assembly tends to rapidly decelerate and stop after the rod 5 once begins to contact with the braking member 6.

It will be seen that I have thus provided a simple and yet very effective and satisfying golf practice device which is capable of being used in av limited space indoors and in which the ball, after being struck by any selected club, tends to take a path of flight corresponding to the free path that it would assume if hit by the same club, this result being achieved by reason of the provision of both a horizontal and a vertical axis in connection with the ball assembly.

In addition to exercising substantially all of the muscles of the body and thus constituting an apparatus of general athletic value, it should be noted that my advice is beneficial in improving ones golf game, inasmuch as it tends to eliminate one of the main faults of the average player, namely, looking up or raising one's head when striking the ball: inasmuch as the ball does not travel up and away, but remains within the range of vision of the player.

I do not wish to be restricted to the specific structural details or arrangement of parts herein set forth, as various modifications thereof may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be imposed thereon as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A golf practice device comprising a support, a secondary support pivotally secured to said support adapted to tilt relative thereto, means for retaining said secondary support in a selected tilted position, a rotatable platform attached to said secondary support, and a ball having a horizontal pivotal connection with said platform.

2. A golf practice device comprising a support, a tiltable member having a horizontal pivotal connection therewith, means for retaining said member in a selected tilted position, a platform having a vertical pivotal connection with said member, and a ball having a horizontal pivotal connection with said platform.

3. A golf practice device comprising a support having upstanding lugs, a tiltable member having downwardly extending lugs pivotally secured t0 the first-named lugs, a platform having a vertical pivotal connection with said member and having upstanding lugs, and a ball having a pivotal connection with said last-named lugs.

4. A golf practice device comprising a support having upstanding side lugs, a tiltable member having downwardly extending side lugs pivotally secured to the first-named lugs, a platform having a central vertical pivotal connection with said member and having a pair of alined upstanding lugs located at one side of its center, a rod having a looped end pivotally horizontally connected to said last-named lugs, and a ball secured to the other end of said rod.

FRANK B. HEWEL. 

